Embattled New York rock club CBGB will close for good on Sept. 30, a year after waging a losing battle with its landlord, the Bowery Residents’ Committee, over a new lease. New York-based promoter Rocks Off is organizing a host of special shows for the club’s final weeks and promises appearances by “many of the artists who made CB’s famous.”
The nonprofit BRC houses 250 people above CBGB, which is its only commercial tenant. CBGB owner Hilly Kristal and BRC Executive Director Muzzy Rosenblatt have been feuding for years over back rent, which the BRC eventually went to court to collect.
In an agreement last December, Kristal promised to vacate the space by Oct. 31, 2006, only after CBGB’s rent was raised from $19,000 a month to $35,000. It is unknown if Kristal plans to pursue re-opening CBGB at another location in the future.